Wouldn't It Be Good To Be In Your Shoes?
by CharmedRumbelle
Summary: A mishap in the pawn shop causes David Nolan and Rumpelstiltskin to switch bodies. Trouble ensues when they try to find a solution to their 'problem' and keep the switch from their wives. Set approximately one month after Season 3 ends.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This fic takes place about a month after the end of S3. I am deliberately ignoring the entire 'fake dagger' issue as well as Elsa's presence in SB – because I choose to ignore it for this particular fic. BTW - the title came from an obscure 80's song by Nik Kershaw that I'm sure no one but me has heard of. This will be THREE chapters. Enjoy! _

David Nolan entered Gold's shop that afternoon, with the simple intent to purchase a gift for his wife, who was cranky, sleep deprived, and just needed a little bit of cheering up.

"Well – your majesty – what can I help you with?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, standing behind the counter in his shop. "What jam do you find yourself in this time?"

"Why do you assume I have a problem?" David asked.

"Because you come into this shop for one of two reasons: to get assistance with something, or to accuse me of something that I haven't done. And since there has been no drama in town lately, I can only presume it's the former." Rumpelstiltskin said. David rolled his eyes.

"I just want to buy something for my wife, you have a problem with that?" David asked.

"Of course not. What exactly did you have in mind?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Jewelry would be good. Maybe a necklace. Something to make her feel pretty, she um – well, we haven't actually done the whole baby thing before and – it's not as easy as it looks, she's been having a pretty hard time of it the last few days." David told him.

"Well – I have a very nice selection right here." Rumpelstiltskin said. He reached under his counter and pulled out a display of necklaces and pendants. "I'm sure you'll find something to your liking. And I do accept payment plans, of course. With adequate collateral."

"Of course." David mumbled as he began to look over the array of jewelry laid out in front of him. "How much are they?"

"Are you really going to put a price on your wife's happiness?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"It depends on how much it costs." David said. "I can't just 'magic up' whatever my wife desires like some people can."

"Yes, well neither can I, seeing that Belle isn't exactly fond of my presenting her with enchanted trinkets." Rumpelstiltskin said. "I have some others in the back for a more – limited budget, if you think that selection is out of your price range." Rumpelstiltskin said, and he stepped into the back room as David continued to look through the selection of jewelry. One pendant caught his eye – it was a glimmering purple stone, larger than what Snow usually wore but it was breathtakingly beautiful, and David knew that it would look fabulous on her. It was a stone worthy of a princess.

"Hey Gold – what about this one? How much is it? Gold!" David called out as he turned the stone over and noticed an inscription on the silvery back of the pendant that held the stone in place. "Cambia capora meum capora." David read out loud. "What does that -" David began, then stopped. His head began to spin, and for a split second everything around him was dark. He blinked his eyes, opened them, and found himself standing in the back room of Gold's shop. "What the hell?" David said to himself, but his voice didn't sound like his voice. He had an accent – he sounded like – like GOLD. David then looked down at himself – these weren't his clothes. He was wearing a tailored suit – one of _Gold's _suits. "No – no, this isn't possible." David said out loud to himself, hearing the lilt of Gold's voice speaking his words. David rushed out into the main area of the shop, where he stopped in his tracks when he found _himself _standing on the other side of the counter, holding the purple pendant that he was admiring barely a minute prior.

"What did you do?" his doppelganger asked him, looking up at him.

"Gold?" David asked nervously.

"Was there an inscription on this pendant?" the man who looked like him but wasn't him asked.

"Yeah." David replied.

"Did you read it? Out loud?"

"I didn't know what it was, I called out for you but you didn't come out here and -" David began, stammering a bit. "What happened?"

"Isn't it obvious? We've – switched." Rumpelstiltskin replied, his voice sounding exactly like David Nolan. His body LOOKING exactly like David Nolan.

"No, no, no, no – switch back!" David shouted. He grabbed the pendant from Gold and looked at the back of it. "Where'd it go? There were words written here, where did it GO!" David shouted.

"They're gone, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said. "You see – this is an Iolite stone. It has many magical properties and that incantation – it was meant to transport you to a place you wanted to be. Or whoever, you just say the name of the person you want to be or place you want to be before you read it."

"I don't want to be you!" David shouted.

"Yes, well – the stone doesn't know that, now does it?" Rumpelstiltskin taunted. "I didn't realize I had one with an incantation on it, I thought I'd used them all."

"What do you mean used them all?" David asked.

"Well – the incantation is a one time offer. Once it's used – this pendant becomes – just a pendant." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Well – get another one then." David said.

"Afraid I can't do that. They're extremely rare – and their magic is – tricky. You have to know exactly what you're doing, and even then, they don't always work as you'd like them to." Rumpelstiltskin told him.

"Well just – conjure up another one." David told him.

"Yes, that's your answer to everything, isn't it? Magic. Have you not learned that all magic comes with a price?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"MY answer to everything?" David asked angrily.

"Aren't you the one that always comes pounding on my door in a panic whenever something needs fixing, asking me to magically make it as you'd like it?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. "Besides – this – body, for whatever it's worth, has no magical properties to it, and won't without many years of practice."

"What are you saying? I'm the Dark One now?" David asked.

"Well it certainly looks that way, doesn't it? Of course – being the Dark One with no KNOWLEDGE of magic is about as useless as being the Dark One with no physical ability of magic." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"So what are we supposed to do? I am NOT staying in your body Gold, I have a wife and a son to go home to!" David shouted.

"Have you forgotten that I have a wife as well? I don't think either of our wives will be pleased with this – situation." Rumpelstiltskin commented.

"What do we do to fix it then?" David asked.

"Right now? Not much we can do. YOU – must learn magic. And hopefully, over time – the two of us together can come up with a potion to counter this spell." Rumpelstiltskin informed him.

"Over TIME? How much time?" David asked.

"Well that depends. How quickly do you learn? Given what I've seen in the past – this may take a while." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Are you implying that I'm not very smart?" David asked angrily.

"Oh, no, I'm not implying it, I'm stating it outright. Now . . . . do you want to get started or do you want to stand her and argue for the rest of the afternoon?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Fine. This better work." David said, and Rumpelstiltskin led him into the back room.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Rumpelstiltskin looked at the mess of potions and books lying across his work table. "This is going to take longer than a couple of hours." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Well maybe if you wouldn't YELL so much I could actually figure this stuff out!" David shouted.

"Well perhaps if you were capable of following the simplest of directions I wouldn't have to yell." Rumpelstiltskin said, just as a phone rang. It was in David's pocket – which was actually _Gold's _pocket.

"Hello?" David answered. "Belle." Rumpelstiltskin looked up at him, his eyes widening. "Yes um – dearie?"

"Don't call her dearie, I don't call her dearie, I only call people that irritate me dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said, gritting his teeth at David. David put his hand over the phone.

"You call me dearie." David said.

"And you've just made my point." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Well, what do you call her?" David asked.

"Sweetheart." Rumpelstiltskin said quietly, blushing a bit.

"Sweetheart? Rumpelstiltskin calls his wife 'sweetheart', that's one I never expected." David said.

"Give me the phone." Rumpelstiltskin demanded, reaching for the phone.

"You can't talk to her, you'll sound like me!" David said, pulling away.

"Rumple, what's going on, is something wrong?" they both heard Belle say on the phone.

"Um – nothing's wrong – sweetheart – just – talking to a customer." David said nervously.

"Well what time will you be home? I want to make sure dinner is ready." Belle said.

"Um – six, I guess?" David said.

"Well, don't stay too long – I miss you, I haven't seen you all day." Belle said.

"Um – okay. See you at six then." David said, and he quickly hung up the phone.

"Why did you tell her that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"What was I supposed to say? 'Sorry Belle, but I'm not actually your husband, I'm David Nolan and we switched bodies.' Yeah, that'd go over well." David said, just as the phone in Rumpelstiltskin's pocket – which was David's phone – rang. Rumpelstiltskin looked at the ID on the phone – it was Snow.

"It's your wife." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Don't answer it!" David shouted.

"Really, dearie? You don't immediately take calls from your wife? Who does that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. He ignored David's demand and answered the phone. "Hello, darling."

"Don't 'darling' me, where are you? You were supposed to be home over an hour ago, you said you just had a quick errand to run." Snow said.

"Well, I um – Emma – asked me to help her with something at the sheriff's office." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Is that right? Well that's interesting, given that Emma is sitting here WITH ME right now." Snow told him.

"Oh. Well – I've been caught then, haven't I? I – have a surprise for you. I'm very sorry I'm late. I'll be home soon." Rumpelstiltskin quickly hung up the phone. "I'm afraid I may have made your wife even angrier at you than she already is."

"Why did you mention Emma? Emma was coming over today!" David shouted.

"Well I didn't know that, now did I?" Rumpelstiltskin said. "Look, I think we've done all we can today, at this point all we'll do is work one another's nerves until we strangle each other and that won't do either of us any good."

"So what? We just go home like this to each other's wives?" David asked.

"Well, it seems like we don't have any other option but to do just that." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"How about telling them the truth?" David asked, and Rumpelstiltskin chuckled.

"Really, dearie? I assured my wife that I carefully disposed of all magical objects in the shop and she will not be pleased with me at all, and well – I presume that your wife won't be pleased to know that it was your carelessness that created this entire mess. So – do you really want to tell them all of this? Or would you prefer to just endure one night, come back here tomorrow, and we will work until we figure out a way to switch back." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"You really think you can handle being me for the evening?" David asked.

"How hard can it be?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. "I'm more concerned about you."

"I thought Belle frowns on you doing magic, how difficult will it be to pretend to be you? Dearie." David said in a mocking tone.

"Here's a thought – let's just both go to our 'homes' – have dinner, say that we're quite tired, and then simply go to bed. Get up early, meet back here in the morning, and then we'll get to work." Rumpelstiltskin suggested.

"You really think they won't notice? Our wives aren't stupid women, they'll know something isn't right." David said.

"If we just do as I say, I doubt they'll even notice. Just don't – engage in too much conversation. Keep it simple, that shouldn't be difficult for you." Rumpelstiltskin said. He walked back into the main area of the store, and David followed. Rumpelstiltskin picked up the pendant that David selected.

"What are you doing with that?" David asked.

"Well, I'm going to give it to your wife, of course." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"You're not giving her that, it's cursed!" David shouted.

"Not anymore. And you did say she was – having a hard time of it lately. It is a lovely pendant, should cheer her right up." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"What about your wife?" David asked.

"Well, the good thing about Belle is that if she's distracted by a book – you won't be bothered by her for the entire evening." Rumpelstiltskin said, and he reached into a drawer under the counter and pulled out a large book. "I was saving this for our two-month anniversary, but – I believe it's necessary to be gifted to her now." David looked at the book.

"The collected works of Jane Austen." David said.

"One of Belle's favorite writers, she's read the stories many times but this is a special edition of the collection. She likes to re-read her favorites, it should keep her quite busy." Rumpelstiltskin said. David let out a big sigh.

"Are you sure we can't just tell them?" David asked. "I don't like lying to my wife."

"From the sound of your wife's voice on the phone, she seems in no mood for magical shenanigans. But by all means – if you think telling them is the way to handle this -"

"Alright. ONE night. But if we don't figure this out by tomorrow, we HAVE to tell them." David said.

"You have a deal." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"I guess we can manage one night as each other. How hard can it be?" David asked.

_Next chapter . . . . the guys go home to their 'wives'. What could possibly go wrong? _


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter ended up being angstier than I thought it would, but I still have some humor in there. So glad for all of the feedback on this! People seemed to especially enjoy the 'phone call' stuff - thank you! Hope this chapter is as much to your liking!_

_I do not own 'Once Upon a Time'. _

**_Chapter 2_**

Rumpelstiltskin pulled up in front of the building that David and Snow lived in; David's truck rattled and shook as he parked it. He was amazed the filthy thing even ran, and the entire time he was driving he thought about his Cadillac and how Nolan had better not leave so much as a scratch on it. He would have much preferred driving his own car, but things how they currently were – he had no other choice. He wondered how David was faring with Belle. The man wasn't that bright as far as Rumpelstiltskin was concerned, and he could only imagine the various ways David Nolan could make an even bigger mess of this situation.

Rumpelstiltskin reached for the key ring David had given to him and opened the door. He laughed a bit to himself at the thought that Nolan probably would forget which key was the house key. At least _he_ wasn't going to make a further mess of this situation, he thought to himself. A gift for Snow, a few kind words over dinner, and then he'd be off to bed. He'd encountered much more difficult situations than this one.

"_Finally _you're home." Snow said as Rumpelstiltskin entered the small apartment. She was holding baby Neal in her arms. The baby was fussing and crying.

"Yes. Hello dear." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Where were you?" Snow asked.

"I just – had some things to do. I have a surprise for you." Rumpelstiltskin said, and he took the necklace out of his pocket. "Here." Snow looked at the necklace.

"What is that?" Snow asked.

"It's – a necklace." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"What am I supposed to do with that?" Snow asked.

"I believe you're supposed to um – wear it." Rumpelstiltskin replied.

"Sure. I'll just go get my ball gown on and I'm sure it'll be a fantastic accessory." Snow said in a sarcastic tone. Snow handed the crying baby off to Rumpelstiltskin.

"What are you doing?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, holding the baby nervously.

"I've been doing this all day. About time you had a turn." Snow said. "I'm getting dinner."

"Don't you want your necklace?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, holding out the necklace to Snow. Snow took the necklace from him and looked at it intently.

"How much was this?" Snow asked.

"That doesn't matter." Rumpelstiltskin said as he made his way to the sofa and sat down with the baby, who was still fussing.

"David, where did you get this?" Snow asked.

"I went to the pawn shop today." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"You got this from GOLD?! How much did he charge you? We can't afford something like this, David!" Snow shouted.

"You deserve something nice. And besides – Rumpelstiltskin said that it was a gift. No charge." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Are you serious? No charge? There's _always _a charge with him, Gold doesn't make deals unless there's something in it for him, are you really that stupid?" Snow asked angrily.

"Perhaps he's trying to change." Rumpelstiltskin suggested.

"Right. That'll happen. Take it back tomorrow. We don't need anything from him." Snow said, and she shoved the pendant at him and stomped off into the other room. Rumpelstiltskin looked down at the fussing baby in his arms.

"Your mother is in quite a mood, I see." he said to the baby. He held the pendant in front of the child, and the boy suddenly stopped fussing. He was fascinated by the shining purple jewel and reached for it. "You like that, do you? Bae used to like pretty things when he was a wee babe. Of course I had no money to wave fancy jewelry at him, but – I had this shiny gold coin that I found when I was a lad. Kept it my whole life. I used to show it to Bae, and he absolutely loved it. I'll tell you about him someday – you're kind of named after him, you know."

Snow entered the room carrying a small tray. She sat down next to Rumpelstiltskin. "How'd you get him quiet?" she asked.

"He likes the pendant. At least someone does." Rumpelstiltskin said. Snow let out a loud sigh.

"David, I'm sorry. He's just been colicky all day and he barely even took a nap and I have no idea what I'm doing here at all, it's not like we've done this before." Snow set the tray of food aside, buried her face in his shoulder, and began to cry. Rumpelstiltskin awkwardly put his arm around her.

"It's – it's alright. You're doing fine." he said, not knowing what else to say. Snow looked up and watched Neal, who was still cooing at the sight of the pendant.

"He really likes that." Snow said.

"Perhaps you should keep it." Rumpelstiltskin suggested.

"I don't know, David. I mean – who knows what kind of stuff Gold has in his shop. With our luck it's probably cursed." she said.

"I wouldn't worry much about that." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"And since when are you such good friends with Gold that he's willing to give you something without asking for anything in exchange?" Snow asked suspiciously.

"Well – perhaps being married has – mellowed him a bit." Rumpelstiltskin suggested. Snow laughed at the idea.

"Sure it has." Snow remarked.

"So – what are you eating there, anyway?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Dinner, what does it look like?" Snow asked.

"I'm not sure." Rumpelstiltskin said. Snow was eating from a small plastic tray.

"I put yours on the counter, I'll take him." Snow said, and she took the baby away from Rumpelstiltskin. He started crying immediately. "Great. Obviously he likes you more than me."

"Try the pendant." Rumpelstiltskin suggest, and he handed it to Snow. Within seconds the child calmed down. Rumpelstiltskin went into the kitchen. There was a box sitting on the counter. He picked it up and looked at it. "I thought you said my dinner was on the counter." he called out.

"It is." Snow shouted back at him. Rumpelstiltskin looked the box over. He picked it up and took it out into the living room.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's your dinner." Snow said.

"It's frozen." Rumpelstiltskin commented.

"So put it in the microwave and heat it up." Snow told him.

"You didn't cook anything then?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Snow asked, an angry tone in her voice. She stood up and set Neal in his crib, having finally settled him down. "I'm home with a crying child all day, I haven't gotten more than two hours of consecutive sleep in the past WEEK, and you expect me to _cook _for you? If you don't like it, why don't you go have dinner at your new best friend Gold's house? I bet Belle cooks dinner for him every night, she's probably the perfect little obedient servant – oh excuse me, "wife". Maybe you'd be happier there if that's the kind of thing you want."

"Did you just insult Belle?" Rumpelstiltskin asked angrily.

"Oh please David, you and I both know that that's not a normal marriage, he probably has her under some sort of spell or something." Snow said.

"Perhaps she actually loves him, did you ever consider that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Sure she does. Come on David, how could she actually be in love with that -"

"Beast?" Rumpelstiltskin said, finishing the sentence for her.

"I still say he did something to her. If he didn't then I can't help but wonder about her." Snow said.

"Well, maybe if you'd bother to get to know Belle and spend more than five minutes talking to her instead of judging her from within your 'lovely castle' you would see that she's one of the kindest people in this town, not that it's overflowing with them to begin with." Rumpelstiltskin spat at her.

"David, what in the world has gotten into you? Since when do you care so much about Belle?" Snow asked.

"Not what, dearie – who. For once, your husband was actually right about something. I thought I could manage one night but I'm not going to sit here and eat frozen dinners and listen to you insult my wife all evening." Rumpelstiltskin said angrily.

"Your _what_? What are you talking about?" Snow asked. Rumpelstiltskin picked up the pendant, which Snow had set down on the sofa.

"This." he said, waving it in her face. "Your husband – brilliant man that he is – picked up this pendant – which apparently _was _cursed, a fact that I was unaware of – and he decided to read the inscription on the back of it out loud. And that's when the switch happened."

"Switch? You mean, you're -"

"Rumpelstiltskin." he said, offering her a playful, impish bow. Snow grabbed the pendant from him and looked it over.

"There's no inscription on this." Snow said anxiously.

"Of course there's not, dearie. The minute your husband read it, it vanished. This pendant is now as useless as – well, as he is." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Where is David? Where is my husband? What did you do to him?" Snow asked worriedly.

"Well, he's probably enjoying a lovely dinner prepared by my maid. I mean my _wife_."

"He's with Belle? In YOUR body?" Snow asked.

"Yes, that's generally how it works with a body switching spell." Rumpelstiltskin said. "To be fair, we did try to create a potion to counter the spell, but – we weren't successful. You see – I don't have my powers in this body, and your husband doesn't have the first clue how to use them. You can see the quandary that faced us today."

"Oh god. Oh god, I cannot DEAL with this right now!" Snow screamed as she paced the room. She found her phone sitting on an end table and picked it up.

"Who are you calling?" he asked.

"Regina. Maybe she can figure something out." Snow said. Rumpelstiltskin grabbed the phone away from her.

"We're NOT bringing Regina into this. I will figure it out." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"So you – you don't have any magic right now?" Snow asked, starting to calm down.

"In this body? None at all." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Good." Snow said, and she pulled back her arm and punched him in the face, hard enough to cause him to fall to the ground. "You bastard." she said, glaring at Rumpelstiltskin as he looked up at him.

"Apparently you didn't hear me say that this was all your husband's doing, not mine." Rumpelstiltskin said as he stood up.

"This entire CURSE was your doing. _All of this _was your doing." Snow stomped off to get her jacket. She then picked up Neal's baby carrier and put him in it.

"Where are you going?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"I'm going to find my husband. So I can punch HIM in the face, too." Snow said.

"Excuse me, but that is MY face you'll be punching then." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"All the more reason to do it." Snow said, and she stormed out the door with the baby carrier, Rumpelstiltskin quickly following behind her.

* * *

David drove Gold's Cadillac up to the large house and parked the car outside. He got out of the car and just stared at the house for several minutes. No, this wasn't a house – this was a _mansion. _He and his wife – the rightful RULERS of their people – lived in a tiny little apartment and this – man, if he was even that – had all of this. It wasn't fair.

David had never even been inside of Gold's house, and he thought about that fact as he nervously walked up to the door. How would he even find his way around the place? Knowing Rumpelstiltskin it probably had all kinds of mazes and hidden rooms and such, he thought to himself. And what about Belle? What kind of woman marries the Dark One? David didn't know Belle all that well – she seemed like a nice enough person, pretty girl, but – he just could not understand what in the world she saw in Rumpelstiltskin. He considered a variety of possibilities that would explain their relationship – blackmail, dark magic, some kind of spell he put on her. Maybe, at the very least, his presence there could solve that mystery. Maybe the girl needed an escape. He could help with that.

Fumbling with the keys that Gold had given him, David realized that he forgot which one was the key to the front door. He tried several of them until he finally found the one that worked. Upon entering the house, he looked around in awe. The place looked as if Gold's pawn shop had exploded into the foyer of the house. If this was just the foyer, he could only imagine what the rest of the house looked like. David wondered how much of this stuff actually belonged to Gold, and how much was taken in some sort of deal.

"Rumple!" Belle shouted, running into the foyer to greet him. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, as David flinched back a bit.

"Hi. Belle." David said nervously, as Belle helped him remove his suit jacket.

"Come on, I've got dinner all ready." Belle said, and she took his hand and led him into the dining room. David followed silently and sat down at the table. "I hope you're hungry."

"Actually, I'm starving." David said. His stomach – or, Rumpelstiltskin's stomach – had been grumbling ever since the switch.

"You did have lunch, didn't you?" Belle asked.

"I um – yeah. I think." David said, not really sure himself.

"You have to eat Rumple, I knew I should have brought you something, I could have closed the library for an hour or so." Belle said just before she disappeared into the kitchen. She came back out with a plate that was so full it was practically overflowing with food. Chicken, potatoes, several different vegetables and everything looked fantastic.

"Belle, this looks – fantastic." David said.

"There's plenty more. I have enough for you to take for lunch tomorrow, and please promise me you'll eat this time." Belle said. Belle went into the kitchen, made herself a plate, then brought it into the room and sat down with David to eat. David ate quickly, savoring every bite he took. "Rumple, I told you there's plenty, no need to rush."

"Sorry, I'm just – hungry. You eat like this every day? I mean – of course, we do, I just – this is really good." David said, partially talking with his mouth full. He hadn't had a meal like this in forever. Snow wasn't into cooking lavish dinners, and for the past month, with a new baby taking up every moment of their time, the most either of them could muster up, aside from their occasional trips to Granny's, was opening a box or a can.

Belle stared at him in disbelief as he talked with his mouth full. "Rumple, are you alright?" Belle asked.

"Fine. Why wouldn't I be?" David asked.

"You just – don't seem quite like yourself." Belle said, and she quietly at her dinner. David continued to eat, not saying another word until Belle spoke up again. "It's getting really busy at the library, I hardly had a minute's break today. I'm thinking about hiring some part-time help."

"Mmmm. That's good." David said.

"I do miss being at the shop with you, though. Maybe tomorrow I can close for lunch and we can go out?" Belle suggested.

"No." David said quickly. "I mean – I have – a meeting tomorrow, I can't meet you for lunch."

"A meeting? Who wants to meet with you, Rumple?" Belle asked.

"Um – David Nolan." David replied. Belle rolled her eyes.

"What does he want?" Belle asked, not sounding thrilled at all.

"Why do ask that like that?" David asked.

"Rumple, every time David and his family barge in on us, it's usually for some ridiculous thing that they either want from you or want to accuse you of."

"That's not true." David said, offended.

"Please – you've gone on before about what annoying pests they are, and I've told you about how they barely bothered with me at all when you were gone, only if they wanted something from me." Belle said.

"I'm sorry." David said, feeling terrible that he and Snow made Belle feel this way. "I mean – I'm – sorry that – they treated you like that."

"Well – it's not like I hold that against them or anything, but we're hardly friends. It's not that I dislike them, I just – wish that they'd give you the benefit of the doubt more often, after all that you've done for them. And I wish they'd bother to treat me like an actual person and not just an appendage of yours, that's all. Anyway, that doesn't matter, as long as they leave us in peace. You want some dessert?"

"Actually I – I think I'll pass. Thanks." David said, having suddenly lost his appetite. He had no idea that Belle felt that way about him and Snow. But she wasn't wrong – the more he thought about it, the more he realized that they did treat Belle that way.

"It's strawberry pie, your favorite." Belle said.

"Maybe I'll have some tomorrow." David replied.

"Well, I'm not surprised you're full, given the way you shoveled everything on your plate down like it was going to disappear." Belle said. She walked behind him and began to nuzzle his neck from behind. "How about a different kind of dessert then?" she teased. David's eyes widened and his entire body stiffened.

"Um – I forgot, I have something for you in the car, I'll be right back." David said. He stood up quickly and darted out the door, then came back in carrying the book that Rumpelstiltskin gave him. "Here." he said, handing her the book.

"What is this?" Belle asked.

"It's – a book. Something I thought you might like." David said. Belled looked the book over.

"Oh, I love it Rumple, thank you." Belle said, and she hugged him tightly. She moved in to kiss him, but David pulled away.

"You know, I um – I'm a bit tired today, I think I'll turn in early. You just – read your book. Goodnight." David said. He looked at the stairs nervously, assuming that the bedroom was up them, and then darted away up the stairs.

There were several rooms upstairs – David entered the one that appeared to be most likely to be Rumpelstiltskin's room. He turned on the light switch, then stood in the middle of the room and looked around. He and Snow should be living like this, he thought to himself. David paced the room for a bit. He wasn't the least bit tired. There was no possible way he was going to sleep tonight. And he certainly couldn't sleep in the suit he was wearing. He didn't understand how Rumpelstiltskin could wear these things every day. They were bulky and uncomfortable. He then realized how much he had grown to like the clothes that he wore in Storybrooke – his jeans and flannel shirts were far more comfortable than anything in the enchanted forest. He needed to get out of this suit, but felt awkward about rummaging through another man's closet.

"I wish he'd told me where he kept the pajamas." David said out loud, and suddenly a drawer opened by itself. "What the – oh god, magic." David said to himself. He DID have Rumpelstiltskin's magic. David walked over to the drawer, which had several pairs of silk pajamas in it. "Okay. I'm not going to think about anything, I'm just going to put on a pair of these and – go to bed." he said out loud to himself, nervous that he was going to cause something else magical to happen. David changed into a pair of pajamas, then climbed into bed, wide awake. "I guess I should have turned off the light." he said out loud, and suddenly the light turned off. "Okay – I'm not saying another word." David said, and he rolled onto his side and stared off into the darkness. It was going to be a long night, he thought to himself. Everything was quiet for about a half an hour, when suddenly David felt an added weight on the bed.

"Rumple." Belle whispered in his ear as she climbed on top of him. "I thought I'd see if you might be interested in that dessert now." Belle began to kiss his neck softly. David bolted up immediately and shoved her away. "Rumple what's wrong? You've been acting so strange ever since you got home." Belle reached over and turned on the lamp on the nightstand as David stood up. His eyes widened at the sight of Belle – she was wearing a skimpy, see-through nightie.

"What are you wearing?" David asked.

"You bought this for me, I thought you liked it." Belle said. David began to pace.

"I can't do this. I can't do this, I knew this wasn't going to work." David said, his voice breathy.

"Rumple, please, just tell me what's wrong, you know you can tell me anything." Belle said as she stood up and approached him.

"I said don't touch me! And put some clothes on!" David shouted, and he darted out of the room and down the stairs. He found the jacket he was wearing hanging on a coat rack in the foyer, and he reached into the pocket for his cell phone. Only it was Rumpelstiltskin's cell phone. He didn't even know his own cell phone number to call him.

"Rumple, what is going on with you?" Belle asked as she entered the foyer. She was wearing a silk, white robe. At least it was no longer see-through, much to David's relief.

"I – I have something to tell you." David said. Just as he said this, the doorbell rang.

"Are you expecting someone?" Belle asked.

"I don't think so." David replied. Belle walked over to the door and looked through the peephole.

"Are you serious?" Belle said out loud, then opened the door. "David" and Snow were standing on the doorstep, a baby carrier in Snow's hand. "What do want? What 'problem' do you want my husband to solve for you now?" Snow looked "Rumpelstiltskin" up and down, then looked Belle up and down.

"This is what you're doing? I get stuck with – with HIM - and you're over here with her doing – I don't even want to know." Snow said angrily.

"She knows. And frankly, I'd like an explanation as well." Rumpelstiltskin said, glaring at him.

"You TOLD her?!" David shouted.

"Well it was either that or strangle her for insulting Belle, I figure you would prefer the former." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"What is going on here?" Belle asked.

"Oh, I'll tell you what's going on. Our husbands are JERKS, that's what's going on." Snow said angrily.

"It was all Charming's fault." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"You're the one who had the cursed pendant in the store!" David shouted.

"Alright – someone, please just explain this to me, I knew something was wrong with you, Rumple." Belle said.

"I'm not Rumple. I'm – David. He's Rumple." David said. Belle looked at all of them in disbelief.

"Sweetheart, I know I said I'd get rid of all of the magical objects in the shop but I accidentally missed one. And Charming here, he – well he found it. We've um – switched bodies." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Why didn't you just tell us? Why go through this whole charade?" Belle asked.

"I didn't want to upset you, Belle. Charming and I tried to figure out a potion to reverse it, but – we couldn't quite get it. I was hoping we'd have it by tomorrow, we'd switch back, and no one would be the wiser." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Well, guess what? I'm upset. Not because it happened, but because you didn't TELL me, Rumple!" Belle said angrily.

"And you – I can't believe you went along with him." Snow said.

"I wanted to tell you Snow, but – well, you've just been so – moody lately and -" David began.

"Moody? I'm moody. Thanks for letting me know." Snow said angrily.

"It's not your fault, I mean -" David began.

"Don't dig a deeper hole, Charming, they're both obviously angry and I doubt at this moment there's anything we could say would change that." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Got that right." Snow agreed.

"So you do know a way to fix this? Right?" Belle asked.

"Like I said – we're working on it." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Snow, um – would you like to stay here tonight? We have a very nice guest room with a private bath, and you can borrow some of my clothes." Belle suggested.

"I don't think I've quite shrunk down to that size just yet." Snow said.

"Well I have some nightgowns that might fit, and – Rumple has some vintage outfits stored in the basement, I'm sure we can find something that will work for you." Belle told her. Snow thought about it for a moment.

"Okay. Thank you." Snow agreed.

"Thanks Belle, that's – really nice of you considering – well, everything." David said.

"I didn't say you were invited." Belle said. "The baby is welcome to stay too, of course."

"Actually – why don't you take him, David? All of his things are at the apartment, and - I could use a night of uninterrupted sleep." Snow said.

"You're still nursing!" David shouted.

"I have some pumped milk in the fridge, it should be enough to get him through till tomorrow." Snow told him.

"Snow, I think we need to talk about this." David said.

"I'm in no mood to talk right now, and I can't talk to you looking like – that." Snow said. "Just – go, David. Please."

"Can I at least – change? Do you have any other clothes besides suits?" David asked.

"Well, you've obviously raided my wardrobe, you would know." Rumpelstiltskin said. David sighed.

"It'd just be nice if I had a pair of jeans and a normal shirt to wear." David said, and suddenly the pajamas were gone and David was dressed in his usual clothes.

"What was that?" Snow asked.

"He has my magic – and no clue how to use it." Rumpelstiltskin said. "But you do show promise." Snow bent over and kissed the baby.

"Mommy will see you tomorrow, okay? You be a good boy, I love you." Snow said to baby Neal, then handed him off to David. "He likes that pendant."

"Snow, I'm sorry." David said.

"We'll discuss this when you're – normal again." Snow said. David took the baby and slunk out the door. Rumpelstiltskin made his way in.

"What do you think you're doing?" Belle asked.

"Going to get myself some dinner. At least we have real food here." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Not in this house you're not. Get out." Belle said sternly.

"This is my home!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted.

"Not tonight it isn't." Belle said.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Well, you can stay in your shop." Belle suggested.

"Or you can stay with David." Snow suggested.

"But you're not staying here." Belle said.

"I'm sorry, Belle. I really am." Rumpelstiltskin said. And he walked out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

_Last entry to this little story . . . . . thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoyed it! _

_I do not own 'Once Upon a Time.'_

**_Chapter 3_**

"Thanks." Snow said as Belle handed her a cup of tea and sat down at the table with her.

"You're welcome." Belle replied, and both women drank their tea in silence for a moment.

"Why do men have to be _so stupid _sometimes?" Snow asked, finally breaking the silence. Belle laughed a bit.

"It is frustrating, isn't it? Can you imagine how bad off they'd be if they didn't have us?" Belle asked, and Snow smiled.

"Belle, I – I want to apologize to you." Snow said.

"For what?" Belle asked.

"I said some things to – well, I thought I was saying them to David but it turns out I was saying them to your husband, and I'm sure he's going to tell you about it. I kind of – told him that I thought you were under a spell or being blackmailed or something to marry Rumpelstiltskin, because if you weren't then – well, then you'd have to be -"

"A bit odd?" Belle interjected. "You're not the first person to say that about me. Nor will you be the last."

"Well, I just – wanted to let you know that I'm sorry. I didn't have any right to say those things. I don't even know you well enough to make that kind of judgment call about you." Snow admitted.

"It's okay – I can't expect others to understand." Belle told her.

"So you're not, right?" Snow asked.

"Not what?" Belle asked in return.

"Under a spell?" Snow asked. Belle smiled.

"Well, if I were, I probably wouldn't be able to tell you, would I? But no – I'm with Rumple because I want to be. I love him." Belle said. "I'm just a bit – frustrated with him right now, but – when you're married to the Dark One, that kind of becomes par for the course. He's trying, though. To do better. That's all I can ask of him. By the way – I should apologize, too. I kind of – came on to your husband. I didn't know it was him, I thought he was Rumple, I never would have – well, done that. If it makes you feel any better he ran out of the room as soon as he saw what I was wearing."

"What were you wearing?" Snow asked. Belle stood up and opened up her robe.

"This." she said, revealing the see-through nightie.

"Oh my god." Snow said, looking her up and down. "Well, at least I know he's not going to look at other women, I mean – wow."

"Yeah, Rumple likes it." Belle said, closing her robe up.

"Don't need to know that." Snow said, and she took a long sip of tea. "Can I borrow it? I mean – after I lose about fifteen more pounds."

"We'll go shopping sometime, I'll get you one of your own, it's the least I can do after everything today." Belle said. The girls were quiet again for a few moments, until Snow finally spoke up.

"Am I a bad person for just – wanting a night away from them? From my baby? I already miss him." Snow said.

"Of course you're not. You're tired and frazzled and after what just happened you have every right to want to get away. Sometimes it's necessary for your own sanity. I've stomped off on Rumple plenty of times because I knew if I didn't I'd say something I'd regret. And Neal will be fine – it's not like you sent him off with a stranger. Technically." Belle told her. Snow sighed.

"Why didn't they just TELL us right away?" Snow asked in frustration.

"I think they were just trying to spare us being upset." Belle said.

"And that worked SO well." Snow replied.

"Well, I didn't say it was a GOOD plan." Belle said, and they both hesitated for a moment and then they laughed. After they settled down, Snow became serious.

"What if they can't figure out a way to switch back?" Snow asked.

"They'll find a way. We just have to believe in them." Belle told her.

"Yeah, you're right." Snow said. "We can still be aggravated with them for a while though, right?"

"Absolutely." Belle replied, and they both laughed again.

* * *

David and Rumpelstiltskin had switched keys, with David driving his truck and Rumpelstiltskin back in his Cadillac. Both men had to adjust the seats to accommodate their new bodies. David got out of the truck and went to the other side of it to take out Neal's baby seat when the Cadillac pulled up behind him and Rumpelstiltskin got out.

"You know, you should consider getting a more practical car than this, it's not exactly family friendly." Rumpelstiltskin commented.

"What are you doing here?" David asked.

"Well – I just want to make sure that you don't do something stupid with my magic that you obviously have no clue to how to manage. Your wife is already upset enough with you, I doubt that you accidentally setting the apartment on fire will please her." Rumpelstiltskin said. "Plus I haven't had anything to eat yet, I have no food at the shop, and Granny's is closed by now. But hey – it's your body, if you'd like me to starve, then by all means, send me on my way."

David sighed. "Fine. Just – stay out of my way." David said, as Rumpelstiltskin followed him into the apartment. Rumpelstiltskin immediately made his way into the kitchen.

"Do you have anything to eat in this place that's not frozen, canned, or boxed?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Well, I'm sorry, it's the best we can do at the moment. Belle's an excellent cook, by the way. I had seconds." David remarked as he set Neal down in his crib.

"Yes, continue to taunt me. Just remember, dearie – I get my powers back when I get my body back." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Like Belle will let you do anything." David retorted. Rumpelstiltskin shot him a glare as he rummaged through the kitchen, finally settling on one of the frozen dinners that he had rejected earlier that evening. David reluctantly joined him in the kitchen, grabbing a soda out of the refrigerator and sitting down next to him.

"By the way – what exactly were you doing with my wife when we got to the house?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"What was I doing? More like what was your wife doing. She practically attacked me. I always thought Belle was a nice girl, not some -" David began.

"Tread carefully dearie, before you say what you're about to say." Rumpelstiltskin interjected. "We are, after all, newlyweds."

"Yeah, that came through loud and clear from her." David said. "I guess I just never thought about it."

"I'd prefer you didn't." Rumpelstiltskin told him. "Well – this was awful. Even makes Granny's over-rated menu seem desirable." Rumpelstiltskin said as he finished up his dinner. "So – who gets the bed?"

"It's my house." David replied.

"Yes, but – your sofa doesn't exactly look comfortable." Rumpelstiltskin commented.

"That's too bad for you, isn't it?" David retorted.

"Again – your body, not mine. You want to spend the next several days with a sore neck, that'll be your problem." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Provided that we actually find a way to reverse this." David reminded him.

"Oh, we'll find a way. I want to get back to my wife, and I'm sure you want to get back to yours." Rumpelstiltskin said. "We both better get a good night's sleep; we have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin covered his head with a pillow and buried his face in the sofa. It was three in the morning, and the baby was crying loudly. "Can't you figure out a way to settle him down?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, sitting up a bit.

"Well, I'm sorry, he has colic and this is basically what our last two weeks have been like every night. You're the one who wanted to stay here – deal with it." David said, pacing the floor with the baby in his arms.

"That isn't going to work." Rumpelstiltskin said, and he got up and walked over to David. "Give him to me."

"I'm not letting you touch my son." David said.

"Well it's already too late for that, I held him earlier when your wife thought I was you. Give him to me." Rumpelstiltskin said. David reluctantly handed the baby over to Rumpelstiltskin, who sat down on the sofa with him.

"Maybe he's just afraid of me because of – well, what I look like." David suggested.

"It's far too early to be dealing with your insults, Charming – though be assured that I will have a retort for that one later." Rumpelstiltskin said. He moved Neal's head close to the left side of his chest, and began to gently move him in a rocking motion. The baby calmed down immediately.

"How'd you do that?" David asked, sitting down next to him.

"He's soothed by my heartbeat. This always worked with Bae whenever he cried." Rumpelstiltskin said. "Here – you try it." Rumpelstiltskin said, and he handed the boy off to David. David mimicked the motions he was shown, and the baby remained calm and was soon asleep.

"Thanks." David said. An awkward silence fell between them, and then David spoke up. "I'm really sorry – about your son. He didn't deserve what happened to him."

"No, he didn't." Rumpelstiltskin agreed quietly.

"You were a good father to him, weren't you? Before the um – the curse." David said.

"I did the best I could. That's all we ever can do. It just – wasn't enough." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"You know, I envy you. At least you got to raise your son – you got to see his first steps, hear him say his first words, teach him how to read and write – all the things I missed with Emma. I know that I have a second chance with Neal, but – it's not the same." David told him. "Maybe you'll get a second chance – with Belle."

"We haven't really talked about that." Rumpelstiltskin admitted.

"Maybe you should. Like I said – it's not the same. It'll never be the same. But when I look at this little guy here – at least he helps me to – not spend so much time thinking about what could have been. He just makes me think about what CAN be. And I'm gonna do all that I can to make sure I don't screw up this time." David said. Rumpelstiltskin remained quiet. "I should probably get back to bed. See you in the morning." David got up and walked away. Rumpelstiltskin sat staring off ahead of him for nearly fifteen minutes before he finally decided to lie down and try to get back to sleep.

* * *

"No, no, no that's too much, don't -" Rumpelstiltskin said, trying to stop David from adding something to a vial, but it was too late. The potion exploded in David's face, covering his entire face with soot from the smoke.

"I told you – don't yell at me." David said angrily. "Maybe I should go to the Blue Fairy for help."

"Don't you go near that shifty jellyfish with this, she'll just make it worse." Rumpelstiltskin said, gritting his teeth.

"Well you're obviously not making it better!" David shouted.

"That's because I'm being forced to deal with an _idiot_!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted back, just as the door to the shop opened, and Snow and Belle entered, making their way to the back room. Both of the men looked up at their wives.

"Where's Neal?" Snow asked.

"He's at Granny's. Ruby is watching him. He still has enough milk till the afternoon; I told Ruby you'd come and get him later." David said.

"Actually, I told him – we don't need them knowing about all of – this." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"So you two haven't figured it out yet, hmmm?" Belle asked.

"No." Rumpelstiltskin said, glaring at David.

"Should we tell them?" Snow asked Belle.

"I don't know – maybe we should just watch them for a while, it could be entertaining." Belle said.

"Tell us what?" David asked.

"I don't know – maybe they've suffered enough." Snow said.

"Snow – what's going on?" David asked.

"We figured it out." Belle said.

"Actually, Belle figured it out – I'm surprised neither of you did – but then again – not _that _surprised." Snow said.

"Figured out what?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"How to um – get the two of you back to normal." Belle said.

"Really? You know to fix this?" David asked.

"Possibly. But – there are some conditions." Belle told them.

"Conditions?" David asked. Snow and Belle both looked at one another.

"Belle and I had a couple of long talks last night and this morning, and – we've decided we want to be friends." Snow said.

"That's – fine, when have I ever told you who you can and can't be friends with?" David asked.

"You can do as you like, Belle, you know that." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Well, you see – we don't just want to be friends with each other, although that is part of it. We both think it'd be nice to have someone to – do things with. As a couple." Belle said.

"What things?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Dinner at each other's houses, going out together – that sort of thing." Snow replied. "Which require the two of you to – you know – play nice." David and Rumpelstiltskin looked at one another. "Part of this is – for Henry. I mean – we are his grandparents, I think it would be good for all of us to be on the same page when it comes to him."

"So – do we have a deal?" Belle asked.

"Do we have a choice?" David asked.

"Not really, no." Snow replied.

"I suppose I could tolerate – Charming over here. For Henry's sake." Rumpelstiltskin said.

David sighed. "Fine. So what's the solution?"

"This – thing that happened. This is a curse, right?" Belle asked.

"Yes, it's a type of curse, but – true love's kiss." Rumpelstiltskin said, realizing what the solution was.

"Can break any curse." Belle added.

"How do we know it'll work? I mean – do you two even LIKE us right now, much less love us?" David asked.

"Oh, we're still mad at you, but – that doesn't mean we don't love you." Snow told them. "It can't hurt to try, right?"

"I suppose not." Rumpelstiltskin said. The each walked over to their wives. Snow looked up at David.

"I guess I didn't think about having to kiss you like – this." Snow said, looking him up and down.

"Well, what about me, I have to kiss HIM." Belle said, looking at Rumpelstiltskin.

"It's not really an even trade though, you have to admit that." Snow said.

"Rumple is a very handsome man." Belle insisted.

"Ladies – can we just get this over with?" David asked.

"Get it over with? Is it such a chore to kiss me, David?" Snow asked.

"You know that's not what I meant Snow, I just -" David began.

"Charming – you're digging a hole again. Just shut up and kiss your wife." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"You ready?" Belle asked Snow.

"Let's do this. What's the worst that can happen?" Snow said. Both women put their arms around the men that were their husbands trapped in one another's bodies, and they kissed them. When they pulled away, they looked at the two men, who both felt a surge of energy burst through their bodies. David looked down at his hands.

"It worked." David said, smiling. "You were right."

"Belle, you're – you're brilliant." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Rumple." a soft voice said, but it wasn't coming from Belle – it was coming from Snow.

"David." Belle's voice echoed. "No – no this wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"What happened?" David asked.

"We switched. David, we switched!" Belle shouted at them.

"No – no, that shouldn't have happened, you two -" Rumpelstiltskin began.

"All magic comes with a price, isn't that what you always have said?" Snow asked.

"Let's do it again – try another kiss." David said.

"Don't bother, you'll just be like you were before. Let's go." Belle said, looking at Snow.

"Where are you going?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Out. You better have a solution by the time we get back." Snow said, and both women walked out of the shop. Once they got outside, they both started laughing.

"They actually believed us." Snow said. "How long should we let this go on?"

"Oh – a few hours at most, we don't want to be too cruel. That gives us just enough time to go shopping for a bit." Belle said.

"What if it hadn't worked?" Snow asked.

"Well it did – true love's kiss can break any curse. Even stupid ones." Belle said, and they both laughed again.

"Do you mind if we go to Granny's and get Neal? I really miss him." Snow said.

"Of course, that'll be fine." Belle said. "You think they'll be mad at us for tricking them like this?"

"They'll get over it. It's the least they deserve. Come on – I haven't been shopping in forever, let's go!" Snow said excitedly, and the two women walked off together.

* * *

_Later that evening . . . . . . _

"How'd you get him down so fast?" Snow asked as David climbed into bed with her.

"Gold showed me a trick he used to use with his son – before he had magic. It really works." David said. He bent over Snow to give her a kiss, then pulled away with a pained look on his face. "My jaw hurts."

"Yeah, that's – probably my fault. I kind of – punched Gold in the face yesterday when I found out about the switch. I'm sorry." Snow said. David smiled.

"No you're not." David said.

"I'm really not." Snow said, and they both laughed. "Well, at least one good thing came out of this whole mess. I made a new friend."

"Belle's a really nice girl, isn't she? What the hell is she doing with Gold?" David asked.

"She loves him. I guess it's not our place to judge. You know, the dwarves didn't really like YOU when we first got together." Snow told him.

"I really am sorry, Snow." David said.

"I know. Just don't read any more pendants in Gold's shop. You're lucky you didn't get turned into a frog, cause I'm not sure I'd have kissed you like that." Snow said.

"Yeah, you would have." David told her.

"Well, okay, I suppose I would have. Eventually." Snow said, and they kissed once again.

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin was sitting up in bed when Belle came into the room, quiet and deep in thought. "You alright?" Belle asked as she climbed into bed with him.

"Yeah." Rumpelstiltskin replied. Belle snuggled up next to him and he put his arm around her.

"Sorry about the little joke Snow and I pulled – we thought it was funny." Belle said.

"It was – it's alright. We deserved it." Rumpelstiltskin said. "You could have done far worse that would have been deserved as well."

"Just promise me next time something like that happens you won't keep it from me." Belle said. "Please stop trying to 'spare me' of things – I can handle them."

"I know you can. And I am sorry, Belle." Rumpelstiltskin told her. They were both quiet for a bit, and then Rumpelstiltskin spoke up. "Do you think – we should have a child?"

Belle sat up and looked at him. "A baby? You want to have a baby?" Belle asked.

"I don't know. I mean – perhaps. Perhaps I could – be a better father this time. At least I'd have a better shot at it – because it would be our child. Together." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"I have – thought about it at times. I just – haven't said anything. I'm not really sure I'm ready yet. I'm not sure you are, either." Belle stated.

"Well – perhaps we should start thinking about it and talking about it and – if and when we decide we're ready, then – we can start – making plans for that." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Alright. We can do that." Belle said, and she moved in close and kissed him.

THE END.


End file.
